Miracle Miles

Rabbis from Chabad of the Conejo will get behind the wheels of their “menorah mobiles” today and hit the streets to deliver candles, prayer guides and dreidels to any Jew who is interested in celebrating Hanukkah, which starts at sundown tonight.

Displaying electric candelabra strapped to the top of their rented autos, Rabbis Hirschel Hendel and Mendel Blumig will cruise the malls and promenades in Thousand Oaks, Oak Park and Westlake for the 19th consecutive year to spread the message of the eight-day holiday commemorating a miracle in Jerusalem more than 2,100 years ago.

“We’re just going to hit all the malls,” said Hendel, who recently flew in from New York City to help his Conejo Valley colleagues with the massive task of handing out several hundred menorah kits. “We’ll be playing Jewish music from the car. Automatically, people who are interested will be attracted to what we’re doing.”

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Hanukkah dates back to 165 B.C. when a group of Jews overthrew a Syrian-Greek army, which had sacked the holy temple in Jerusalem. Their king had decreed that Jews were forbidden to practice their religion and attacked their place of worship.

When the Jews entered the nearly destroyed temple, they discovered that the oil contained in a special lamp symbolizing God’s eternity had been contaminated. And there was only enough pure liquid to last for one day. Hanukkah commemorates the miracle that caused the lamp to continue burning for eight days until the oil could be replenished.

As with all Jewish holidays, Hanukkah follows the lunar calendar. Every year the date of the holiday changes, although it is always celebrated during the winter season. This year, the first night of Hanukkah--considered a minor Jewish holiday--falls the day before Christmas Eve.

The mission of the international Chabad movement is exemplified by its Hanukkah campaign in the Conejo Valley, where this local group of Orthodox Jews has put up menorahs at various city halls and erected a 20-foot, gold-painted menorah at The Oaks mall. The first of the menorah’s eight candles will be lighted at 7 tonight.

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“We were taught . . . that if you have something wonderful, you can’t keep it to yourself,” said Blumig. “You have to share it and publicize it.”

The rabbis realize that their good-intentioned sharing may seem a bit pushy. But their goal is not to convert non-Jews, Blumig said. It’s only to teach other Jews about their history and culture.

“We don’t try to proselytize,” Blumig said. “We’re polite. We’re not soliciting anything or asking for money. We only reach out to Jews who don’t already have a menorah.”

But the idea of a Hanukkah blitz--especially on public property--doesn’t appeal to all denominations of Judaism.

“There are a lot of Jews, especially the American Jewish Congress, who want to keep the separation of church and state,” said Shimon Paskow, a conservative rabbi of Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks. “If you have religion in these places, then it becomes, ‘whose religion?’ I like to play it low-key, personally; I’m not going to run down to the malls. But if Chabad wants to do it, it’s their business.”

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Paskow’s congregation will celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah inside Etz Chaim’s sanctuary on Janss Road at 5 p.m. today with songs, magic tricks, a religious school play and latkes--potato pancakes eaten especially on this holiday.

The denomination of Orthodox Judaism, known as either “Chabad” or “Lubavitch,” was started about 200 years ago by Rabbi Schneur Zalman in Lubavitch, Russia, which translates into “city of love.” Zalman wanted to take Judaism to the masses--a departure from the previous practice of teaching the Torah, the Jewish scriptures, only to scholars.

“He wanted to make Judaism accessible to everyone,” Blumig said. “And teach that every Jew is precious.”

Seven generations later, a descendant of Zalman, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson set up shop in New York City and became the official leader of the Chabad movement in 1950. His mission was to teach Judaism to Jews around the world. Under his direction, nearly 2,500 Chabad centers sprouted around the world and Chabad messages are now being advertised through television and on the Internet.

“Some people ask us why we have to make so much noise,” Blumig said.

“But we’re blessed to be in the United States, where freedom of religion is allowed and Jews should feel proud.”